Wichita eagle., 1887-01-01
THE DIAMOND DOLLAR.

gray bearded mentor on the opposite side
of the street car. She smiled with her
whole face-dimpled chin, red cheeks.
full lips; even the eyes behind the con
vex glasses of her pince nez twinkled
''Thank you,'' she said, shutting the
book softly, Il know it. 1 was merely
CHANGING at the pictures
Then she turned her amused glance
toward the front part Of the car, and met
the eyes of the driver staring straight ii
her. His face lighted up when her glance
met his. and with his rough glove he
patted the LETT side Of his coat, as though
it shielded something which concerned
her
The car WAS enc of those little wheeled
boxes locally known as the Pound Gap
Bob-t8ils, : which ply between Cincinnati,
O., and It's Kentucky suburb. Newport.
The driver, sole autocret, dividing his
time among the mules, his passengers and
the small boys Who everywhere mark bob
tail cars Ter their own, WIGS Tnufiled to the
mouth in Gn old o;lskin coat, belted at the
waist Vita Z leather strap. His cap was
pulled down 10 shield his face from the
rain, into the teeth OF which he was
forced 10 drive, and when lie entered the
car TO collect the fares his heavy cOwhide
boots completed a grotesquc picture, which
would have attracted attention even in
Castle Garden. Evidently he cared less
for style than for comfort.
''W hat IS tie fare 10 Newport"
Ten cents, please"
l started ct the musical voice, and
looked ct the man closely.
"Wh-a-t:" / said, mot Ferguson, OF
The Gazette
''Samc party, dear boy, same party"
He laughed in the honest, whole-souled
way that / knew so well, rang the bell Of
his punch twice, smiled at the pretty girl,
who seemed to enjoy my surprise, and
then clattared out to his place at the
brake, where l presently Joined him.
This is rough, Ferguson, deuced
rough-S12 a week and seventeen hours
q day! Can't you do better than thiss''
classical occupation, dear boy. One
of the children of Greek mythology, you
will remember, aspired to drive a car-his
fathers car, but while his route was
trihe dryer than mine''-
SIT was not necessary for him to make
a guy OF himself in cowhide boots. That
girl inside is laughing at YOU"
~ know it. She always does when she
rides with me"
He looked through the glass door of the
car, and again patted the side of his coat
when he met the young woman's eye.
The gesture seemed to please her.
another case of the maiden and the
coachman," remarked Ferguson as he
slowed up to take on passenger. Evil
IDENTITY lie had lost none OF his high spirits
since be had drifted out Of journalism into
street car service. But seriously now,
don't you know herr
mo, l cannot say that / de- said.
severely.
That's Virginia. =
l looked again at the girl. She was as
charming a specimen OF young woman
hood as is often met with even i'll the cul-
tured parts Of Kentucky The infantile
cheeks and dimpled chin toned down the
severity of her eyeglasses, and from the
brown plume in her hat 10 the II .rrn,y toe
of her shoe she was what is popularity
known as ''stylish.1 Du MauriCr might
have copied her pose for that OF one OF
his high-bred women.
Eyes, sir, that's Virginia. You have
laughed at my verses to her for three
years, and if we drop all the passengers
before the end of tie route IS reached
VIII take you inside and present you.
She knows you by name already. |
have talked with her about you a hun
bred times she likes that little story Of
yours, The Cruise of the Mermaid, i'm
mensely, and always looks up your col
umn the first thing in The Clarion
Then he seemed to drift into another
line of thought.
''Yes, sir, it is rough" he said; eight
teen hours day, seven days in the week,
is too many hours for a man to work;
but, thank God, am done! This IS my
last trip. | have something here"-he
tapped the left side Of his oilskin coat
again-''which has put me on my feet.
Virginia and had several blocks, alone,
together, this morning, and she knows.
That's what we are so gay about. You
remember that Diamond Dollar =
Did / remember it? 1t was that Ola
mond Dollar" that cost Ferguson his desk
on The Gazette Not more than two
months ago he was as dapper, well
dressed and apparently as successful a
man as there was in the Cincinnat; rep0r-
torial fraternity. His duty was the cover
ing of the news along the river fronts Of
the Kentucky towns facing and above
Cincinnati, and, being a graceful writer,
he managed to get in column or two Of
breezy special matter on miscellaneous
subjects each week, every column Of such
matter being clean addition Of s. to his
not princely salary.
1t was O'Clock one Thursday night
when word came over the telephone wires
from the fire chieftain's office that the
towboat Greyhound was burning at her
Oh Nar,-r,G-f T.g
fifteen minutes came the supplementary
report that her entire tow Of seven bar2es
was doomed. and that John Stacey md
.tStumpy," the cook, were missing-pre-
sumabiy burned with the wreck.
Ferguson can have two columns for
that" compiacently remarked the city
editor Here, Newport, get rig; jump
out there: find Ferguson and help him.
Get in as much as possible before T.
and, if it promises good matter after that,
wire the facts We viii dress them up. =
At 1890 O'Clock | WIS again at the
Office with the skeleton article. The lire
had taken place early in the afternoon
Three lives and $65 900 worth Of property
were lost had seen nothing Of Fergu
son.
But while was making hasty oral
,eport to this effect Ferguson strolied INTO
the Office lie was at peace with himself
and the world, and his stiff, white collar
lifted itself Immediately above his black
tie and unruf7ied shirt front.
Nothing moving he said, airily, a.
be placed The days report On the editors
desk. Everything deed along the riveI
to-day
no fights nor fires" asked the city
editor il his blandest tones.
Nothing; bat here IS little Special
that VIII look well in the Sunday supple